The Department of Tourism (DOT) has announced that the 4th edition of Madrid Fusión Manila supposed to be held April next year, will not push through.
In a statement, the tourism department said that it will focus its resources on sectors that will require support on funding, especially those involved in the farm tourism industry.
“Given the urgency of those demands, the department is fully dedicated to optimizing its resources and allocating its budget towards programs and projects that directly impact communities, especially at the grassroots, that need government aid to be sustainable,” the DOT said.
“Efforts such as the development of farm tourism will provide a dependable source of income for Filipinos in their locales but will also be vital to countryside development,” it added.
The DOT emphasized that it recognizes the contribution of the local food industry in promoting the country as a “vibrant culture with its own unique flavor to the world.”
“This was strengthened by events such as Madrid Fusión Manila, which not only helped in creating a discussion about Filipino cuisine abroad but also in cultivating a more robust interest in our homegrown agricultural produce within the local culinary scene,” the agency said.
The tourism department assured that it will continue its support of Filipino gastronomy by focusing “its efforts on areas that will make it truly sustainable.”
“Its (DOT) regional offices will continue to develop and improve culinary and farm tourism product offerings, while the department’s foreign offices will continue to promote the country as a premier culinary destination to the international market,” it stated.
The Madrid Fusión Manila is an annual convention showcasing local and foreign gourmet food and other products. It was first held in 2015.
In its website, Madrid Fusión Manila said that it “is the first and only Asian edition of Madrid Fusión, the most important gastronomy event in the world, celebrated annually in Madrid, Spain since 2003.” (Analou de Vera)